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Discover London

Do you want to visit impressive attractions? You’re looking for the most famous shopping miles or enchanting boutiques for the perfect shopping trip? Or you’re interested in fascinating buildings of art and culture? We’ve compiled a selection for you.

Hyde Park

Royal Garden

Hyde Park is THE park for some time out amongst the greenery. It’s a wonderful place to spend some time. You can sail or swim in the Serpentine. There’s a bowling green, a racecourse, and plenty of greenery for picnicking and chilling. Numerous concerts and other events take place in Hyde Park – as they did during the 2012 Olympic Games, for instance – and another attraction was added to the Royal Park in 2004: the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial.

Buckingham Palace

Royal Palace

Not only does Buckingham Palace attract millions of visitors to royal events, when the Royal Family appears on the balcony, but the Changing of the Guard is also a wonderful sight to behold. While visitors watch, the Guards march to St. James’s Palace and Buckingham Palace. The Victoria Memorial commemorating Queen Victoria is outside Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Gallery with Her Majesty’s art collection and the Royal Mews are open to visitors.

London Eye

Giant Ferris wheel

The world’s biggest Ferris wheel is on the banks of the River Thames: the London Eye, or Millennium Wheel. It is 135 metres tall, and enables visitors to take a quick trip up into the sky right in the middle of London. The views over the city are breathtaking. In good weather, it is possible to see up to 40 km beyond the city’s boundaries, all the way to Windsor Castle.

Picadilly Circus

Must-see

Piccadilly Circus is both a meeting place and a tourist attraction. The illuminated advertising hoarding on the corner is one of the most popular motifs for the photo album. The memorial fountain with the statue of Anteros (popularly mistaken for his brother Eros) is a delightful place to sit and watch the world go by. Piccadilly Circus was built in 1819, and is a junction of five very busy streets. If you’re here on a shopping trip, you will automatically come to it. Be sure to take a break – and a photo or two!

Big Ben & Houses of Parliament

City landmark

Most people when they think of London think of Big Ben. The 13.5-ton bell hangs in the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster). It chimes its world-famous chime every hour; the melody was «borrowed» from an aria in Georg Friedrich Händel’s «Messiah». Several mechanics (Keepers of the Great Clock) are on duty around the clock to make sure this happens perfectly whenever it should. The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its tenants.

Tower Bridge

Most famous bridge

Tower Bridge over the Thames is probably the most famous bascule and suspension bridge in the world. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name. The bridge was built in 1894. It is quite exciting when the two centre sections (bascules) of the bridge are opened to let large vessels pass. Of course, Tower Bridge is open to visitors. The top connections are pedestrian bridges with fabulous views of London. There is also a museum in the upper section.

Rough Trade East

Cult music shop

Housed in a former Stella Artois brewery, this cult music shop stocks a vast range of rock-pop, dance, breakbeat, electronic and country folk music. If there’s something on the Indie scene that you can’t find here, you won’t find it anywhere in London. The assistants are knowledgeable and helpful. It also sells books and T-shirts, and has a small café.

Harrods

Famous department store

Harrods is the best-known department store in London. It is one of the biggest, most exclusive and famous department stores in the world, and one of the most visited attractions in London. If you visit Harrods, be sure to check out the Art Nouveau Food Hall – a memorable experience, and an absolute delight. There’s anything and everything a die-hard shopper’s heart could desire on the various floors, and at Christmas-time Harrods shines with its own unmistakeable glow. The exterior of the department store is a highlight all year round; it is lit by around 12,000 bulbs in the evening. The electricians have their hands full: they have to change up to 300 bulbs every day.

Boxpark

Pop-up mall

The world’s first pop-up mall is a revolutionary shopping concept in trendy Shoreditch. A vacant lot is being used, for the time being at least, to provide a novel shopping experience. Two storeys with more than 60 shipping containers provide a platform for established fashion brands such as Puma, Calvin Klein and Dockers, young fashion labels, art exhibitions, and little cafés and restaurants.

Margaret Howell

Classic

Margaret Howell isn’t only on the «fashion scene inventory» in her home country. Her understated, almost unspectacular designs run counter to the offerings of Brit Chic. Her preference is for timeless classics with a modern touch: dresses and coats for the ladies, and jackets for the gentlemen. Her light-flooded minimalist store with the huge skylight is a veritable treat for the eyes.

Flower Market

Not just greens

If you want to hear East London’s renowned costermongers touting their wares with their raucous cockney accents, then this is the place to go. Every Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., Columbia Road is transformed into a sea of plants and flowers. Other stalls sell all manner of things that could, by quite a stretch of the imagination, serve some sort of function in the garden. There are various little boutiques and cafés around the market that invite visitors to look, shop and take the weight off.

Fortnum & Mason

Purveyor to the court

Fortnum & Mason is the star of London’s department stores. Pastel hues verging on kitschy, ancient chandeliers and ornate lettering make this venerable store as unique as teatime and Christmas pud. The display windows alone are enough to stir the blood of even the most died-in-the-wool shopping grouch. Its famous delicatessen is a prime magnet for tourists. This elegant emporium has held the royal warrant ever since it was first established in 1707.

Westfield Stratford

Retail giant

With 300 retail outlets and 70 restaurants, 14 cinemas and 3 hotels, Westfield Stratford City is the largest shopping centre in Europe. Built close to the Olympic Stadium, this behemoth is even bigger than the Westfield Mall at Shepherd’s Bush to the west of the city. Visitor can walk from luxury boutiques such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. to more affordable fashion chains like Debenhams and COS and to the many sports shops.

Borough Market

Oldest market

London’s oldest and undoubtedly most popular food market under the railway bridges near London Bridge: it’s a gourmet paradise that sells top-quality agricultural products and handmade foodstuffs from all over the British Isles and continental Europe. Chefs, gourmets and «civilians» forage amongst English cheese specialities, fresh fish and home-made cakes. Opening times: Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 noon until 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Stella McCartney

Very British

In March 2012, Stella McCartney celebrated the opening of her shop in Chelsea, which is the perfect complement to her flagship store on Bruton Street. In addition to her runway collection, sports line and extensive selection of handbags and lingerie, she also has an experimental and luxurious collection for children. Inspired by the colours of her national flag, the English star designer – and daughter of Paul McCartney – also designed the uniforms for Britain’s 2012 Olympic team.

Camden Market

Must-see

London without Camden Market? Simply unimaginable. You really must see the collection of various markets on Camden High Street and many little shops, book shops, gift shops, restaurants, pubs and cafés. Vintage fashion meets jewellery, alternative music the latest trends. Go there, have a look around – you’re bound to find something!

Late Night Chameleon Café

Concept store

A truly private shopping experience: the doors of the concept store Late Night Chameleon Café (LN-CC) in the suburb of Dalston are opened exclusively for customers by prior appointment. The store has three concept rooms with brands such as Balenciaga, Jil Sanders and Yohji Yamamoto, a book and music store, a club room for private events and a photographic studio. It’s worth visiting it just to see the interior design by Cary Card. The rooms are interlinked by a system of skeletal tunnels made of natural wood and orange acrylic.

Madame Tussauds

Celebrities in wax

Madame Tussauds is world famous. The waxworks museum contains figures of famous personalities including musicians, actors, athletes, politicians and models. Other branches of Madame Tussauds have opened in Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Berlin and New York. However, the original is the one in London. It’s well worth a visit – it could be the closest you’ll ever get to the stars!

Royal Opera House

Opera and ballet

The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is the address for top-class ballet and fabulous opera performances. This exceptional, completely refurbished building is in itself one of London's landmarks. London has fabulous music everywhere. However, world-class performances are guaranteed at the Royal Opera House. If you come to see an opera here, you can rest assured that it will be a first-class and unforgettable experience.

Tate Gallery of Modern Art

Modern art

The Tate Gallery of Modern Art in London is the world’s biggest museum of modern art. The gallery is in a converted power station, formerly the Bankside Power Station, on the banks of the Thames in the suburb of Southwark. The museum is in a unique riverside location, and changing exhibitions by modern artists such as Frida Kahlo, Martin Kippenberger and Kadinsky are held here.

LOCAL TIP

When you fly into Heathrow or London City, buy an Oyster card for travelling on the tube network and buses which can be purchased at the underground station at both airports. You can top it up at any station or newsagent and it is much cheaper than buying tickets. At the end of each day, the computer works out the cheapest fare and then changes the balance on your card accordingly. You will need enough money for a day's worth of travel though and you must 'touch in and touch out' when you enter and exit the station or you pay a higher amount. The cards don't expire either, so it's worth keeping (unless you never expect to return to London). I have had mine for several years.